By
*Barr. Patrick Biose*In the build up to this year’s Governorship election in Edo State, Edo people have watched Governor Godwin Obaseki decreed that himself and his Deputy are the only persons that have immunity in the State. Of course he is very correct!! This is as contained under section-308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).That is to say among others, that the Governor owe the State a duty to ensure collective security for all. But in recent times, the State has witnessed various degrees of thuggery and other politically motivated violence, thereby causing public fear and apprehensions.
Most disturbing is the fact that both Godwin Obaseki himself and his Deputy, Phillip Shuaibu have respectively declared their determination to match the opposition Parties in the State, violence for violence, and thuggery for thuggery in the forthcoming Governorship election. Such public statement is a clear indication that Edo State Government is fully involved in the thuggery enterprises, using State resources. Whereas as a Chief Security Officer of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki ought to have had recourse to the legitimate use of State institutions to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute any act of violence or criminality, including thuggery.
Narrating his own version of the purported thuggery attack in Agbede on the 26th of August 2020, Phillip Shuaibu in a live interview with CHANNELS TV, told the story of how he saw a long convoy of Adams Oshiomole and the APC Candidate Pst OSAGIE IZE-IYAMU on the express road at Avbiele town in Edo North. He alleged that 3-vehicles in that convoy were carrying gunmen who suddenly opened fire shooting indiscriminately, while being protected by a Police van in the same convoy. He further alleged that the convoy of his Party (PDP) was attacked in Agbede community by APC thugs, and that if not for his physical presence and that of the State Commissioner of Police who joined him to push back the angry youths of Agbede “who were determined to fight back, the situation would have been more disastrous”. In the same breathe, the same Phillip Shuaibu claimed that immediately the Agbede incident happened, he (Phillip) called the CP on phone to report the matter, but never got favourable response. What the deputy governor has indirectly pointed out is that the Police in Edo State is not alive to their Constitutional responsibilities to discharge their General Duties in accordance with the provisions of Section-4 of the Police Act.
For the political watchers, a critical appraisal of the above Tales By Moonlight stories as told by Phillip Shuaibu (on CHANNELS TV, 26/08/2020) will expose the self-contradictions and incredible lies!! How can a single statement simultaneously represent both an eye-witness account and a hearsay report of the same incident by the same person?? Eg, na Phillip Shuaibu talk say CP physically join am to separate fight for Agbede, na the same Phillip talk say him make phone call to report the Agbede wahala to the CP for Benin. Who come be these plenty CPs wey oga Phillip dey talk about for Edo State na??. Even the morons and the imbeciles will know that these stories are fabricated lies!!
In their endless spurious allegations, Phillip Shuaibu has accused Adams Oshiomole of stocking guns and camping thugs in his (Adams) house at Iyamho, from where they plan their operations before deploying them for thuggery attacks on members of his party, the PDP. Phillip publicly disclosed that he gets all his information from his family members in Oshiomole’s house. So, while alleging that Adams Oshiomole is responsible for the politically motivated violence in Edo State, the deputy governor is also admitting that it is at his own (Phillip’s) family meetings that the conspiracy for thuggery are being staged. After all, in the words of Phillip Shuaibu: “I am a son to Adams Oshiomole because we are from the same family”. Technically speaking therefore, these allegations can properly be classified as indirect self-indictment on the corporate image of a family by their own son, the Deputy Governor.
From the media lamentations by Godwin Obaseki, his deputy and the PDP, it was clear that the presence of Comrade Adams Oshiomole in the campaign podia of the APC does not go down well with the Godwin Obaseki led Edo State Government and the PDP. They believed that it is wrong for Oshiomole to campaign for his Party. But if they see nothing wrong with having Chief Dan Orbih on the campaign podia of the PDP, why then on earth should Godwin Obaseki and his Party be loosing their peace over Oshiomole’s involvement in the APC Governorship Campaign Activities?? As a member and leader of the APC, Adams Oshiomole cannot be barred from enjoying his unrestrained Constitutional right to campaign for his Party like Chief Dan Orbih is doing. Since the PDP chieftains/members have their rights to campaign for their Party, they equally have a corresponding duty to respect Oshiomole’s right to do same for his Party the APC.
The situation being created here is such to suggest that the security of Edo State is no longer within the capacity of the Chief Security Officer and the Political Class of the State to handle. If this ugly trend is not checked, it may give rise to Political Expediency that could necessitate a declaration of State of Emergency in Edo State. When this happens, it could obstruct and suspend the democratic order in the State for not more than statutory period of six (6) months. God forbid!
It is important to remind Mr governor and his deputy that an abusive and mischievous use of the Immunity Clause is not within the contemplation of section-308 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. Their infractions of today can be brought before a competent Court in the future to determine their civil or criminal liabilities, after leaving office as incumbents in title.
Just as nothing lasts forever, power is transient, and IMMUNITY has an expiry date.
*PATRICK .I. BIOSE*is a Legal Practitioner, based in the Niger-Delta Area of Nigeria
